I've run about 15 sessions of Dogs, for three different groups of players, and *today* was the first session where a Dog killed someone... actually, two Dogs shot the same person, to make *sure* she was dead.

Kindness, persuasion, a stern look, and self-sacrifice have always been the "go-to" solutions for my Dogs players, but this time someone was finally found to deserve to die... was a sight to behold! *laugh*

Was playing a tweaked up version of "Ander's Crossing", which I called "Sander's Crossing"; made the Good Shepherds a little more militant and the two wannabe-Stewards a little more difficult to choose between.

Best thing, we're only half-way through... *laugh*

I love this game.

(Also had one of the players remoting in from Spain, as she's there for a year, while the rest of us are here freezing in Canada.)

I've been surprised myself! There's been *attempted* killings by various Dogs, but other Dogs have always stepped in to "take the bullet" for any sinner they've encountered... even the baby-killing grandma/great aunt in Tower Creek!

All three, completely unrelated, groups have taken a strong "forgiveness is the way" kind of approach to their Dogs; many are converted to the Faith so have a strong belief in "second chances"... with several being willing to die to allow a sinner another shot at redemption... it's been really cool seeing them bring hard-hearted and even *evil* folk back to the King of Life.

Quote

What did the person do to deserve to die?

This woman, "Shepherd Justina", was one of the "Good Shepherds", a local "Dog-like" group in Ander's Crossing with the false doctrine of "A town can police it's own sins." The PCs arrive and three of these Good Shepherds had just hanged a boy and were getting ready to give a teen girl a beating. It's the middle of a thunderstorm and the PCs wanted to talk it out a bit, and wondered the boy had been hung and why the girl was about to get whupped.

"Well, both of 'em were snuck off in Brother Harmond's barn, Brother Joseph up there got his third nail for that, so he got what was coming to him, Sister Emilie got her second, so she's set to get her hide tanned... and here's your boards, I'm sure you Dogs won't get any nails, but you gotta wear 'em just the same." As they get handed these small wooden placards with a cord to hang 'em from your neck... and they're divided into three sections.

All the *players* are like "Three strikes and you're *HANGED*?!" and decide that's not gonna float.

They’re gonna take the girl and *leave* the town to rot. Shepherd Justina levels a shotgun at them and says, “Not so fast” to them with "a voice that seems to bludgeon your souls like fists of thunder" (Viciousness); things get tense around the stakes of “Do we take the girl?”, all four Dogs are in, but backed up by two other Good Shepherds, and Hate-n-Murder dice, Sister Justina nearly takes down four Dogs; one giving midway through, two others sucking down hard fallout, and the other ruining her Book of Life by dropping it in the mud.

That level of threat, and the spiritual power she openly wielded, was finally a "she’s too far gone" for two of the Dogs and their final raises against her were bullets in her head that she couldn't dodge.

It had been an extremely drawn out and tense conflict... and it had been the opening conflict of the town… the players were a bit shaken by the whole thing… it was *AWESOME*! *laugh*

But even more awesome was the players’ gape-jawed faces when they discovered the Not-Really-The-Steward of the town seemed completely surprised that hangings were going on, because they assumed he was the “bad guy”… “Yeah, I had ‘em put up that noose on the hill, it’s a reminder o’ the wages o’ sin, but it would be madness ta use it!”

I've been surprised myself! There's been *attempted* killings by various Dogs, but other Dogs have always stepped in to "take the bullet" for any sinner they've encountered... even the baby-killing grandma/great aunt in Tower Creek!

All three, completely unrelated, groups have taken a strong "forgiveness is the way" kind of approach to their Dogs; many are converted to the Faith so have a strong belief in "second chances"... with several being willing to die to allow a sinner another shot at redemption... it's been really cool seeing them bring hard-hearted and even *evil* folk back to the King of Life.

Quote

What did the person do to deserve to die?

This woman, "Shepherd Justina", was one of the "Good Shepherds", a local "Dog-like" group in (S)Ander's Crossing with the false doctrine of "A town can police it's own sins." The PCs arrive and three of these Good Shepherds had just hanged a boy and were getting ready to give a teen girl a beating. It's the middle of a thunderstorm and the PCs wanted to talk it out a bit, and wondered the boy had been hung and why the girl was about to get whupped.

"Well, both of 'em were snuck off in Brother Harmond's barn, Brother Joseph up there got his third nail for that, so he got what was coming to him, Sister Emilie got her second, so she's set to get her hide tanned... and here's your boards, I'm sure you Dogs won't get any nails, but you gotta wear 'em just the same." As they get handed these small wooden placards with a cord to hang 'em from your neck... and they're divided into three sections.

All the *players* are like "Three strikes and you're *HANGED*?!" and decide that's not gonna float.

They’re gonna take the girl and *leave* the town to rot. Shepherd Justina levels a shotgun at them and says, “Not so fast” to them with "a voice that seems to bludgeon your souls like fists of thunder" (Viciousness); things get tense around the stakes of “Do we take the girl?”, all four Dogs are in, but backed up by two other Good Shepherds, and Hate-n-Murder dice, Sister Justina nearly takes down four Dogs; one giving midway through, two others sucking down hard fallout, and the other ruining her Book of Life by dropping it in the mud.

That level of threat, and the spiritual power she openly wielded, was finally a "she’s too far gone" for two of the Dogs and their final raises against her were bullets in her head that she couldn't dodge.

It had been an extremely drawn out and tense conflict... and it had been the opening conflict of the town… the players were a bit shaken by the whole thing… it was *AWESOME*! *laugh*

But even more awesome was the players’ gape-jawed faces when they discovered the Not-Really-The-Steward of the town seemed completely surprised that hangings were going on, because they assumed he was the “bad guy”… “Yeah, I had ‘em put up that noose on the hill, it’s a reminder o’ the wages o’ sin, but it would be madness ta use it!”

But even more awesome was the players’ gape-jawed faces when they discovered the Not-Really-The-Steward of the town seemed completely surprised that hangings were going on, because they assumed he was the “bad guy”… “Yeah, I had ‘em put up that noose on the hill, it’s a reminder o’ the wages o’ sin, but it would be madness ta use it!”

Hmmm… maybe I’ll write up my revisions of the town…

What's that line again about evil needing nothing more than good people doing nothing?